people getting tattoos they don't understand

[BlaqueKatt]

if they like it, then what's the problem?

the problem comes from co-opting part of a culture you don't understand-the people getting the spiderweb tattoos is a perfect example-it means you killed a minority in prison. It's offensive, you may as well just tattoo "I'm an attention whore" on your forehead, yes people should be able to do what they want-but at the same time it's not "all about them".

it's the equivalent of me deciding to walk around every day in full ceremonial dress of the ho-chunk nation "because it looks cool"-I have no connection to them, and no understanding of their culture or history. And Americans are the only ones that seem to do this, with tattoos.

[Fryk]

The problem with that line of thinking, BlaqueKatt, is that is shouldn't stop with just language or tattoos. Do you have a ming vase, or a replica, in your house (not you, personally)? Get rid of it. It's an artistic expression from a culture that you don't have a "personal" stake in. Do you like renaissance art? Don't buy it, you don't live in the renaissance era. Do you like venetain plaster on your walls? Too bad, you're not from italy, get rid of it. Why are you living in a ranch home? You don't live in the plains. It's compounded by the fact that American culture is about 90% borrowed, anyways, thanks to our melting pot. But it's not even limited to America. If something speaks to someone on a personal level, who are you to say that that personal connection is false? As long as you understand what it is you are incorporating, what is the problem? Note AGAIN that I am not talking about getting something that says "This long cat run the sky fantasy noodle". I am talking about finding something that I identify with, a concept or phrase, and blending it with something else I identify with, the culture and language of ancient Egypt.

[the_std]

I've never understood why people think tattoos have to have meaning to the person getting them. If they like the shape, like the image, like something about it and are willing to have it on their bodies for the rest of their lives, then who the hell cares what it means? It could be a picture of a piece of bacon, or maybe a lamp, or a doorknob, and if they like it, then what's the problem?

[AdminAssistant]

Well, there are a few tattoos that I've thought about getting that involve words. One being my family motto - can't remember it off the top of my head though (and wouldn't post it here, anyway, identification and all that). So, that would be in Latin. Can't read Latin.

Or I might get something in French. I do read/speak some French, and it would be a quote from a play that has significance to me (Cyrano de Bergerac or Ruy Blas, for example). But I'm not French. So, because that's not my culture I'm not allowed?

While I understand your frustration with girls who get "Beef and Broccoli" tattooed over their ass crack, if someone thoroughly researches a certain phrase in heiroglyphs or kanji or whatever - then let 'em have at it. Not my body, not my problem.

[Ree]

A lot of this is exactly what BlaqueKatt said, but this gives you a few more details about hieroglyphics.

[muses_nightmare]

I've always wanted a Kemetic* Tattoo, because while I'm not Kemetic myself, nor do I have any ancestors that are either, I have a spiritual tie to that culture, to the religion.

I don't think that one should really go around translating words that have meaning to them into languages they don't really understand, because as with heiroglyphics the words don't always translate properly and you could end up with something embarassing or worse permanently inked into your skin.

If I were to get a tattoo to do with Kemet I would probably get The Ankh Udja Seneb symbols, or an image of Aset. Something along those lines anyhow.

I was being a bit geeky and thought a kern* tattoo on two toes (Ke on one and rn on the other) would be cool, doubt I'd ever do that though. also, I'd think either it couldn't be done, or it would hurt like hell.

As it is though, I'm not considering anything in particular for a long while. If I do get anything it will be near or on my feet and small.

And I've rambled on about nothing for 3 paragraphs...sorry.

*Kemet = Egypt
*Kern= letter spacing

[BlaqueKatt]

The point is to get something that has personal meaning to me, but do it in an artistic, unusual way.

which boils down to "it looks cool" it's not unusual because everyone that gets a tattoo in a language they don't understand does it because they want to be a unique and special snowflake-why not get the word in english but in a stylized script? Calligraphy(more artistic than pictograms or phongrams)? Why does it have to be in a language that is not yours?


Why would you want to co-opt part of another culture that you aren't part of-and only one part-the part that "looks cool"-and would have no "personal meaning" because it's not your native language or culture. Something foreign to you cannot have personal meaning as the two phrases are mutually exclusive. Does Swahilli, Mayan, or say Cherokee have a "personal meaning" to anyone that's not a member of those groups?

personal
  
of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person; individual; private
relating to, directed to, or intended for a particular person

Foreign
not related to or connected with the thing under consideration
alien in character; irrelevant or inappropriate; remote.
strange or unfamiliar.


Unless the person getting the tattoo wants to act "cultured"(read pretentious) and be like "oh that, you wouldn't understand it's the word frog, my nickname as a toddler written in the language of the dwarf bunnies from mars".

[Fryk]

I know how heiroglyphs work. I may be self-taught, but I AM taught. And I called the system an alphabet because I couldn't remember the word "phonogram" :: P. And I wouldn't get something if I didn't know what it meant. What I tried to say was, I would like to get something in heiroglyphs, and I have researched different words that have personal meaning for me. But I don't like the way they look in heiroglyph form. Maybe I should just skip down to heiratic or demotic :: P.
The point is to get something that has personal meaning to me, but do it in an artistic, unusual way.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I once read somewhere about a girl who copied a Chinese writing excerpt off a menu for a tattoo. She later found out it said "Spring Roll" XD

[BlaqueKatt]

I want to get a tatoo of something in egyptian heiroglyphs on me somewhere. Thing is, everything I have thought of getting so far ends up looking clunky and stupid when you translate into heiroglyphs.

and why would you want to get something tattooed on you that you don't understand-if it has no meaning to you it's an insult to those it would hold meaning for, because it means nothing to you other than "looking cool", but it may be part of their heritage-something you have no right to, and no right to exploit.

that would be because heiroglyphs are not an "alphabet" just like kanji and kana are not "alphabets"-it's also a "dead language" so not exactly translatabe from english to heiroglyphs....

Mod Edit: Please do not cut-and-paste text; provide the link instead. Ree has provided the link a few posts down. Thanks.

[Fryk]

Kryptonian would probably look good in a tatoo, in a surreal, alien sort of way. As long as she understands what it says.
It's a common thing, though, picking out words in a foreign alphabet because they look good. A friend of mine once visited Japan and sent back a photo of a t-shirt someone was wearing that said, in english...
"KING FUCKER CHICKEN"

[Greenday]

My friend wants to get a word in Kryptonian on her hip. Kryptonian, as in the language of Superman's home planet.

I personally wouldn't get anything I can't read myself tattooed on me.

[Fryk]

I want to get a tatoo of something in egyptian heiroglyphs on me somewhere. Thing is, everything I have thought of getting so far ends up looking clunky and stupid when you translate into heiroglyphs.

[BlaqueKatt]

yup as promised on CS

I take great joy in letting wannabe punks know exactly what their beloved spiderweb tattoo means-aside from "looking cool"-if you are unaware-the spider web tattoo that appears on the elbows of prison convicts is meant to symbolize racism – a racism that is so extreme that this tattoo has also been associated with killing a minority in order to earn the right to wear it. Law enforcement is likely in agreement as they have characterized the spider web tattoo on elbows and shoulders as a symbol of jail time.


along with this goes the bad tattoos in foreign languages-"I got this awesome tattoo in sandskrit/hebrew/kanji/kana/cyrillic because it looked cool"

Um can you read sandskrit/hebrew/kanji/kana/cyrillic, do you know anyone that can, what the hell connection do you have to the language-why did you get something you and no one you know can read permanently emblazend on your body..... because it "looks cool"-um I bet you laugh at people from other countries that mistranslate stuff into english-yet you don't see the irony here. And don't even get me started on the "chinese/japanese/asian alphabet" crap some tattoo parlors have-if I see that when I walk in I don't even stop I just turn around and leave-thankfully the shop that I go to does not have them-they feel the same way I do-and my artist really wants to do more work on me-I take ink incredibly well.